Schools

Fort Morgan school district sees less funding, may gain more later

Principals have more discretion over weapons charges

ByDAN BARKER Times News Editor

Posted:
11/09/2012 12:40:14 AM MST

Gina Schaefer receives the Employee of the Month plaque from Fort Morgan Superintendent Ron Echols during the Fort Morgan Board of Education meeting Monday. She was honored because she is always helping people and builds bonds with students.
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Fort Morgan School District will have less state funding than expected this year -- but may have more next school year.

The state certified fewer students from the October county than hoped, which means the district lost about $80,000 in revenue, said Chief Financial Officer Mike Lee during Monday's Fort Morgan Board of Education meeting.

Student numbers have fallen consistently since 2009, which whittles down the five-year average the district uses for its state funding, he said.

"We're losing a few kids each and every year," Lee said.

A proposal from the governor's office for improving K-12 schools could mean a little more funding next year, though, he said.

Fort Morgan schools might see another $130,000 or more, but that will be eaten up by the Public Employees Retirement Association payments, which are rising, Lee said.

However, the district is still laying plans to improve the school district infrastructure.

Weld Architects and Engineers was hired to help create a master facilities plan to direct the district for the next five to 15 years, said Superintendent of Schools Ron Echols.

Some of that might be funded by BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) grants, which are meant to help smaller, less financially blessed school districts.

The board approved a number of changes to district policies on first reading.

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Those include changes to policies on weapons in schools, student interrogations, parking lot searches, the use of metal detectors, gang activity or other secret societies, drug and alcohol use by students, bullying, violent and aggressive behavior, the code of conduct, the student dress code, truancy, student absences, inter-district choice of schools, admissions, equal opportunity, safe schools, tobacco-free schools and discipline of support staff.

Most of these changes reflect recent legislation, which changed state law regarding discipline.

Notably, the legislature repealed the Zero Tolerance laws put in place after the Columbine High School killings, said board President Damon Mussman.

Zero Tolerance sometimes resulted in unnecessary expulsions, and the new policies give administrators more discretion about whether to expel students, he said.

Part of the change means that schools will not have to report every little thing to police, and will not have to hold expulsion hearings automatically unless there is a true danger.

For instance, if a young a child brought a toy weapon or a butter knife to school, it would not require an expulsion hearing.

Bringing firearms to school is still requires expulsion under federal law, though.

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